Sacramento Animal Control

Sheriff's spokesman: Dog left in car outside July 4 event, owner arrested

Sacramento County Sheriff's Department deputies arrested a 23-year-old man Monday in Rancho Cordova on suspicion of animal cruelty for allegedly leaving his dog in a car for more than an hour in the afternoon heat, a sheriff's spokesman said.

Deputies staffing the Fourth of July celebration at Hagan Community Park were alerted around 5 p.m. to a dog locked in a car in the parking lot, said sheriff's spokesman Deputy Jason Ramos.

They found the dog, believed to be an 8-to-10-week-old pit bull, "panting heavily on the floorboard of the car," Ramos said. Deputies smashed the window of the car, unlocked the door and retrieved the dog.

The owner had apparently arrived at the event with the dog around 3 p.m., but was told he could not bring the dog in, Ramos said.

Howard Simon III, 23, who lists a Sacramento address, was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail, Ramos said. Online booking logs indicate he was released Tuesday.

Ramos said the triple-digit heat, combined with the amount of time the dog was believed to be in the car and the dog's appearance, made it "clear that the owner of the dog had absolute disregard for the welfare of the pet."

The dog was given to animal control personnel on Monday and transferred to the SPCA on Tuesday, Ramos said.

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Sacramento Press / April 10 – 16 is National Animal Control ...

The Sacramento County Animal Control Officers patrol almost 950 square miles and are on the job 24/7, 365 days a year. Officers respond to approximately 1600 calls a month, ranging from dog bites, loose animals, injured animals in distress, animals locked in hot cars, and appalling cases of animal abuse. Sacramento County Animal Care and Regulation is the only agency in the County that investigates cases of cruelty and neglect, and works closely with local law enforcement and other agencies to prosecute abuse offenders. If you want to learn more about the Sacramento County Animal Shelter, or donate to the “S.O.S. Save Our Shelter” funds, which benefits the shelter animals and helps to fund the animal control officers’ work, please visit us at our shelter at 3839 Bradshaw Road, or check us out online at www.saccountyshelter.net .  

Annie Parker is a Public Information Officer for the Sacramento County Municipal Services Agency.